Spring actuated hinge



ug l5, 1967 w. E. DUNSTER, JR 3,335,454

SPRING ACTUTED HINGE Filed Aug. 18, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l ug- 15, 1967 w. E. DUNSTER JR 3,335,454

SPRING ACTUATED HINGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 18, 1965 MvSMTOK; QJ'N an/b... Durl' r' dr: )y 100% United States Patent O 3,335,454 SPRING ACTUATED HINGE William E. Dunster, Jr., Rockford, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Amerock Corporation, Rockford, lll., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Aug. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 480,609 8 Claims. (Cl. 16-189) This invention relates to a spring loaded hinge for use in supporting a door on a frame for swinging about a xed axis between open and closed positions. More particularly, the invention relates to a hinge spring assembly and the manner of mounting it in the hinge for imparting a turning force between the door and the frame to assist in pivoting the door to a predetermined position.

It is desirable to spring load cabinet doors, and particularly those used on kitchen cabinets, so they Will remain opened or closed when moved to one of these positions. The most convenient method of holding the doors in one or more positions is by supporting them on spring loaded hinges. However, past hinge structures have been large and cumbersome and have been less effective from the standpoint of not functioning properly, being expensive, or in requiring the door to be spring biased throughout the complete turni-ng motion thereby making it impossible to move the door to a different position from the one to which the door is biased and having it stay in that position when released.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a spring-loaded hinge for urging the door to a preselected position as it is swung through one portion of its range of motion wherein the spring is disabled from acting on the door as the door is swung through the remaining portion of its range of motion.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a hinge having a torsio-n spring concealed in the curls wherein the torsion spring is connected to act on the rotatable curl as the door is swung through one portion of its range of motion for urging the door to a preselected position, but is disconnected from the rotatable curl to permit the door to swing freely as it is swung through the remaining portion of its range of motion.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a door supported on a frame by a cabinet type hinge embodying the novel features of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the hinge of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. l with the door moved to the open position,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along the line 4 4 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view along the line 5 5 of FIG. 2 showing the releasable means for holding one end of the spring,

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are views similar to FIG. 5 with the parts in moved positions,

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along the line 9 9 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 with the hinge moved to another position,

FIG. 1l is a cross-sectional view along the line 11 11 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. l2 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with the parts in moved positions.

For purposes of illustration, the present invention is shown embodied in a hinge 10 for use in mounting a door 11 on a frame 12 to pivot about a vertical axis between open and closed positions. The illust-rated hinge is of a type commonly known as a hidden leaf cabinet hinge. More than one such hinge are usually employed to support such a door, with each including two leaves or wings, one being a frame attached leaf 14 and the other a door attached leaf 15, pinned together so the door leaf and supported door can pivot about a verti-cal axis PA.

The leaves 15 and 14 include portions 16 and 18 formed to lie along the inner side of the door 11 and against the frame 12 beside the door, respectively, and secured thereto by screws 19. The frame leaf 14 is bent to form a flange 20 which is notched to form a pair of spaced fingers 21 (FIG. l) extending away from the frame in a common plane. The outer end portion of these lingers 21 are bent back on themselves to form alined and spaced cylindrically shaped curls 22, each with an alined center opening 24 centered on the pivot axis PA.

Similarly, a flange 25 is formed by bending the edge of the door leaf 15 around the edge of the door to extend generally in a plane parallel to the hinge pivot axis PA. The outer end portion of this flange is also bent back on itself to .form a curl 26 sized to t snugly between and aline with the spaced curls 22, and including a center opening 28 alined with the center openings 24 of the frame leaf curls. The leaves are joined by a pivot pin 29 passed through the center openings of the curls such that the curl 26 and door leaf 15 with the attached door are supported Ion the frame for swinging about the pivot axis PA through a predetermined angle. A head 30 on the pivot pin abuts the top curl 22 to prevent the pin from falling through the curl openings. To spring load the hinge for assisting in pivoting and holding the door in predetermined positions about the pivot axis, a torsion spring 31 is coiled around the pin 29 and acts between the hinge curls to urge one curl in the desired direction.

In accordance with the present invention, the spring 31 is held within the curls with one end anchored to the frame leaf and the other end secured to the door leaf curl as the door leaf is swung through a preselected portion of its range of motion, and is disconnected from the door leaf curl when the door leaf is swung through the remaining portion of its range of motion. By this arrangement, the door supported on the door leaf is urged to a preselected position only while being swung through a predetermined angle and, when being swung through the remaining portion of the angle through which it turns, is permitted to tu-rn freely without being biased by the spring.

To these ends, the spring 31 is anchored at the lower end portion 32 to the pin 29 with the center portion 33 loosely positioned about the pin. The top end 34 of the spring extends radially outward through a lower notch 35 in the top edge of the door curl 26'. By this arrangement, the spring is wound around the pin to increase the tension thereof as the door is swung open to thereafter urge the door back to the closed position. After the door is opened to approximately l5 degrees, the lower notch 35 in the top edge of the door curl alines with an upper notch 36 in the Ibottom edge of the frame curl and spaced angularly about the hinge axis from the lower notch. At this time the end 34 of the spring is cammed upward out of the lower notch and into the frame leaf upper notch to disconnect the spring from the door curl. Thus, the spring is disconnected from acting on the door as it is swung on to the fully open position. As the door is swung back toward the closed position and the notches 35 and 36 again aline the spring end 34 moves hack into the door leaf notch 35 to again urge the door closed.

In this instance, the pin 2.9 is formed with a top portion 38 which seats closely in the center opening 24 of the top curl 22 and is reduced in size at a mid-portion 39 between the top curl 22 and the door curl 26, to a diameter substantially less than that of opening 28 to allow space for the spring 3i around the pin within the curl 26. The pin is further reduced in cross-section at 40 and fits into an opening 41 in a sleeve 42 forming the lower portion of the pin and extending upward through the lower curl 22 and partway into the opening 2S in curl 26. This lower portion of the pin includes a head 43 abutting against the curl 22 and positioning the sleeve longitudinally within the curls, and is clamped within the curl and has a sufficiently loose fit with the curl 26 for rotation of the latter about the sleeve. Thus, the lower .portion of the pin is non-rotatably fixed within the lower curl 22 and the top portion is non-rotatably in the upper curl 22. The spring is loosely coiled about the pin portion 39 and is held by the top end 34 of the spring being extended radially outward through the notch 35 in the top edge of the frame curl 26 (FIG. 4) and the bottom end 44 being anchored to the pin. The notch 35 and bottom end anchor are spaced apart sufficiently to tension the spring longitudinally.

The spring biases the door through approximately the first 15 degrees of door movement and is then released from acting on the door curl 26, thereafter permitting free unbiased movement of the door as it is swung on to the fully opened position. For this purpose, the edge 45 of the lower notch 35 against which the spring acts through the end 34 is positioned at approximately a 30 degree angle from an imaginary line perpendicular to the edge of the curl (FIGS. 5 through 8). Thus, as the door is opened, the hinge appears as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 9 until the lower notch alines with the upper notch 36 in the adjacent edge 46 of the top curl 22. Since the spring end 34 is forced against the edge 45 of the lower notch, it -rides upward towards the curl 22 and is held in the notch by edge 46 of curl 22 until the upper and lower notches aline, at which time the end 34 of the spring is camrned upward into the upper notch by action of the angled edge 45 of the lower notch (see FIGS. 6 and 7). Thereafter, the lower notch rides past the upper notch (FIGS.l 3, 8 and l0) with the edge 47 of the curl 26 acting to hold the spring in the latter notch. Since the spring is now acting between this notch 36 and pin 29 fixed to the curl 22 forming the notch, as the door is opened further no turning moment is impressed on the door.

As the door is again moved to the closed position, the curl 26 moves relative to curl 22 (from the positions indicated in FIGS. 8 and 7, to that of FIG. 6) to aline the notches 35 and 36. When these notches again aline, the longitudinal tension of the spring snaps the spring end 34 back into notch 35. Thus the door is again biased closed by the spring acting on notch 35 of curl 26. The edge 48 of notch 36 (FIG. 6) also may be arranged at a slight angle to facilitate passage of the spring end 34 from notch 36 to notch 35 when the door is being turned to the closed position.

By this arrangement the spring end 34 presses against the notch 35 at al1 times while the door is close to the frame to thereby bias the door closed. Once the door is swung open past the point of alinement of the notches 35 and 36, the spring no longer acts on the door curl 26 to bias the door closed. Therefore the door remains where released. By positioning the notches at other points relative to each other about the curl circumference, the spring can fbe made to urge the door curl and door to other predetermined positions.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a hinge for supporting a door for back and forth swinging between two positions relative to a frame, the combination of, first and second hinge leaves, a first curl on said first leaf, a pair of second alined curls on said second leaf spaced apart sufficiently to receive said first curl in alinement therebetween, said curls having alined center openings, a hinge pin extending through said center openings to define the pivotal axis of the hinge with the first curl positioned between said second curls, said first curl lhaving a first notch in the edge adjacent one of said second curls, said pin having end portions fast on said second curls and having an intermediate section about which said first curl turns including a portion of smaller cross-section, a `torsion spring coiled about said pin smaller cross-section portion having one end .fast to said pin and the other end extending outward through said first notch and engaging an edge thereof to urge the first curl in one direction about said axis, said notch edge being shaped to cam said other end portion toward said adjacent second curl as said first curl turns in the other direction, said adjacent second curl having a second notch in the edge thereof adjacent said first curl and angularly spaced from said first notch and positioned to aline therewith after said .first curl has turned through a preselected range of turning in said other direction whereby said notch edge cams said other end portion of the spring out of said first notch and into said second notch to disable said spring when said second curl is turned past said preselected range, said other end portion Vbeing stressed when in said second notch to snap back into said first notch as said second curl moves back into said preselected range.

2. In a hinge for supporting a door for back and forth swinging between two positions relative to a frame, the combination of, first and second hinge leaves, first and second curls on said first and second leaves, respectively, each having a center opening, a hinge pin extending through said center openings to define the pivotal axis of the hinge, said curls being disposed side by side along said pin, the edge of said second curl adjacent said first curl being formed with a first notch, a torsion spring coiled around said pin with one of its end portions anchored on said first hinge leaf and its other end portion extending outwardly through said first notch and engaging an edge thereof to urge the second curl in one direction about said axis, said notch edge being shaped to cam said other end portion toward said first curl as said second curl turns in the other direction, said first curl having a second notch in the edge thereof adjacent said second curl spaced angularly from said first notch and positioned to become alined after said first curl has turned through a preselected range of turning in said other direction and leaves said preselected range whereby said notch edge cams said other end portion out of said first notch into said second notch to disable said spring when said second curl is outside said preselected range, said other end portion being stressed when in said second notch to snap back into said first notch as said second curl moves back into said preselected range.

3. A spring loaded hinge for supporting a door on a frame for swinging about a pivot axis and for urging the door to one position through which it turns, having, in combination, first and second leaves and means for mounting one on the door and one on the frame, first and second curls supported respectively on said first and second leaves, said curls each including alined center openings extending along the hinge pivot axis, a pin extending through said openings and being fixed to said first curl to thereby pivotally couple said curls and leaves together for turning, said pin including a portion thereof in said second curl having a smaller cross-section, said second curl including a notch in the edge thereof adjacent the edge of the first curl, a torsion spring positioned at the smaller cross-section portion of said pin and having one end fixed to said pin and the second end bent radially outward from the pin to extend through said second curl notch, said spring being held under a tensional force between the pin and said second curl notch and positioned to be tensioned more as the door is moved from a first to a second lposition for urging the door back to the first position, the edge of said notch against which the spring acts being formed with a cam surface extending toward said first curl and acting to urge said spring second end out of said notch and against the edge of said first curl as the spring tension increases with movement of the door to the second position, said first curl having a notch in the edge thereof adjacent the notched edge of said second curl and positioned to aline with said second curl notch when the door is swung to the second position whereby the spring is cammed from said second curl notch to said first curl notch and released from acting on the second curl when the door is swung past the second position and thereby only acts to urge the door to the first position when the door is being moved between the first and second positions.

4. A spring loaded hinge for supporting a door on a frame for swinging about a pivot axis and for urging the door to one position through which it turns, having, in combination, first and second leaves and means for mounting one on the door and one on the frame, first and second curls supported respectively on said first and second leaves, said curls each including alined center openings extending along the hinge pivot axis, a pin extending through said openings and fixed to said first curl to thereby pivotally couple said curls and leaves together for turning, said pin including a portion in one curl having a smaller cross-section, said second curl including a notch in the edge thereof adjacent the first curl, a torsion spring positioned at the smaller crosssection portion of said pin having one end fixed to said pin and a second end extending radially outward from the pin through the second curl notch, said spring being positioned to act between the pin and first curl and said second curl to be tensioned more as the door is moved from a first position to a second position and thereby urge said door toward said first position, said notch including an edge against which the spring second end is pressed being formed with a cam surface acting to urge said spring second end out of said notch as the spring tension increases with movement of the door to the second position, said first curl having a notch in the edge thereof adjacent said second curl and positioned to aline with said Second curl notch when the door is in said second position to receive said spring second end as it is forced out of said second curl notch whereby said spring will be released from acting on said second curl at this second position and only act to urge the door to the first position when the door is being moved between the first and second positions.

5. A spring loaded hinge for supporting a door on a frame for swinging about a pivot axis and for urging the door to one position through which it turns, having, in combination, first and second leaves and means for mounting one on the door and one on the frame, rst and second curls supported respectively on said first and second leaves, said curls each including alined center openings extending along the hinge pivot axis, a pin seated in said openings and fixed to said first curl to thereby pivotally couple said curls and leaves together for turning, said pin including a portion having a smaller cross-section, a torsion spring positioned at the pin smaller cross-section portion with one end fixed to said pin and the second end extending radially outward past the curls, a notch in the edge of said second curl for receiving the second end of said spring, said spring being positioned to be tensioned as the door is moved from a first position to a second position, and urge the door back to the first position, said notch having an edge against which the second end of said spring acts forming a cam surface for urging said spring second end out of said notch as the spring tension increases with movement of the door from the first to the second position, means to retain said spring second end in said notch while the door is moved between the first and second positions, and means to retain said spring second end when it moves out of said notch when the door reaches the second position and until said door is again moved from said second position towards said first position whereby said spring only acts to bias said door to the first position during movement thereof between the first and second positions.

6. A spring loaded hinge for supporting a door on a frame for swinging about a pivot axis and for urging the door to one position through which it turns, having, in combination, first and second leaves and means for mounting one on the door and one on the frame, first and second curls supported respectively on said first and second leaves, said curls each including alined center openings extending along the hinge pivot axis, a pin seated in said openings to thereby pivotally couple said curls and leaves together for turning, a torsion spring coiled around the pin, said spring having one end fixed to said first curl and the second end extending radially outward from the pin past the curls, a notch in the edge of said second curl for receiving the second end of said spring, said spring being positioned to be wound tighter by relative movement between said first and second curls as the door is moved from a first position to a second position, said notch having an edge against which the spring second end acts formed as a cam surface tending to force the spring second end out of the notch when the spring tension increases with movement of the door from the first to the second positions, means to hold said spring second end in said notch until said door is moved from the first position to the second position, and means to retain said spring second end when it is forced out of said notch when the door is moved to said second position whereby said spring only acts to bias said door to the first position during movement thereof between the first and second positions.

'7. A spring loaded hinge for supporting a door on a frame for swinging about a pivot axis and for urging the door to one position through which it turns, having, in combination, first and second curls and means for mounting one on the door and one on the frame, said curls each including a center opening alined along the hinge pivot axis, a pin extending through said openings to pivotally couple said curls together for turning of the door relative to the frame through a predetermined angle, a torsion spring coiled around said pin within the center opening of one curl, said spring having one end attached to said first curl, means to releasably connect the other end of the spring to the second curl while the door is turned through the predetermined angle and to disconnect the other end of the spring from the second curl when the door is turned past the predetermined angle whereby the door is only spring biased when being turned through the predetermined angle.

8. A spring loaded hinge for supporting a door on a frame for swinging about a pivot axis and for urging the door to one position through which it turns, having, in combination, first and second leaves and means for mounting one on the door and one on the frame, first and second curls supported respectively on said first and second leaves, said curls each including alined center openings extending along the hinge pivot axis, a pin extending through said openings and pivotally connecting the curls and leaves together for turning, a torsion spring having one end attached to said first curl, and means to releasably engage the `other end of said spring with said second curl while turning one curl with respect to the other through only a portion of the predetermined angle and to disengage the spring other end from the second curl when the second curl turns past the portion of the predetermined angle whereby said spring is effective to bias said door only through that portion of the angle through which it swings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 571,133 11/1896 Hoffman 16-189 FOREIGN PATENTS 466,052 5/1937 Great Britain.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. D. L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A HINGE FOR SUPPORTING A DOOR FOR BACK AND FORTH SWINGING BETWEEN TWO POSITIONS RELATIVE TO A FRAME, THE COMBINATION OF, FIRST AND SECOND HINGE LEAVES, A FIRST CURL ON SAID FIRST LEAF, A PAIR OF SECOND ALINED CURLS ON SAID SECOND LEAF SPACED APART SUFFICIENTLY TO RECEIVE AND FIRST CURL IN ALINEMENT THEREBETWEEN, SAID CURLS HAVING ALINED CENTER OPENINGS, A HINGE PIN EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CENTER OPENINGS, TO DEFINE THE PIVOTAL AXIS OF THE HINGE WITH THE FIRST CURL POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID SECOND CURLS, SAID FIRST CURL HAVING A FIRST NOTCH IN THE EDGE ADJACENT ONE OF SAID SECOND CURLS, SAID PIN HAVING END PORTIONS FAST ON SAID SECOND CURLS AND HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE SECTION ABOUT WHICH SAID FIRST CURL TURNS INCLUDING A PORTION OF SMALLER CROSS-SECTION, A TORSION SPRING COILED ABOUT SAID PIN SMALLER CROSS-SECTION PORTION HAVING ONE END FAST TO SAID PIN AND THE OTHER END EXTENDING OUTWARD THROUGH SAID FIRST NOTCH AND ENGAGING AN EDGE THEREOF TO URGE THE FIRST CURL IN ONE DIRECTION ABOUT SAID AXIS, SAID NOTCH EDGE BEING SHAPED TO CAM SAID OTHER END PORTION TOWARD SAID ADJACENT SECOND CURL AS SAID FIRST CURL TURNS IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, SAID ADJACENT SECOND CURL HAVING A SECOND NOTCH IN THE EDGE THEREOF ADJACENT SAID FIRST CURL AND ANGULARLY SPACED FROM SAID FIRST NOTCH AND POSITIONED TO ALINE THEREWITH AFTER SAID FIRST CURL HAS TURNED THROUGH A PRESELECTED RANGE OF TURNING IN SAID OTHER DIRECTION WHEREBY SAID NOTCH EDGE SAID OTHER END PORTION OF THE SPRING OUT OF SAID FIRST NOTCH AND INTO SAID SECOND NOTCH TO DISABLE SAID SPRING WHEN SAID SECOND CURL IS TURNED PAST SAID PRESELECTED RANGE, SAID OTHER END PORTION BEING STRESSED WHEN IN SAID SECOND NOTCH TO SNAP BACK INTO SAID FIRST NOTCH AS SAID SECOND CURL MOVES BACK INTO SAID PRESELECTED RANGE. 